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Pairing old aesthetics with new technology's been done before: just look at new-fangled NFL helmets in throwback colors, or a new-fangled NFL helmet with Brett Favre's head in it. For high-tech typing hardware that looks almost as ancient as #4, check out USB Typewriter Keyboards

A "groundbreaking innovation in the field of obsolescence" from one member of non-virtual Phili hacker-community "Hive76" 'Writer Boards are authentic old school typewriters rejiggered for complete compatibility with PCs, Macs, and even iPads, though carrying the whole thing around would suck -- unless they have a sack for that. The low-tech look's achieved via a somewhat technical process, including inserting a flexible metal sensor board under the striking keys, adding "reed switches" to keys that don't strike the crossbar, attaching a pre-programmed USB interface board, and stringing the whole mess together with 11 wires -- cut the wrong one, and the resulting disaster'll ensure you're type-o positive. Though they'll happily do custom transformations of your own rig, already-stocked models include a teal Smith-Corona Corsair Deluxe (w/ original carrying case), the cleanly modified gun-metal Deluxe Olympia, which dually preforms on paper (and comes with toggle-able non-standard keys like F1-F12!), and a smaller white number with brown & black keys called the Olympiette, who'll constantly complain about why no one tunes in to watch her ribbon routine when shotput is on

For the adventurous DIY-er, the website's full of hardware design files, software for making your own chips, and assembly/calibration instructions so technical, you'll have to think hard about whether or not you can do it. And then think again. And then think again....